#412 - What Is a Retirement Plan of Record?

You have probably heard me refer to a retirement plan of record in the past few episodes, but you may be wondering what exactly this is. I have had several listeners reach out and ask me to define this term, so in addition to hearing listener questions, today you’ll learn exactly what a retirement plan of record is and how it can help you plan your retirement. Press play to check it out.

“Today you’ll learn exactly what a retirement plan of record is and how it can help you plan your retirement.”

What is a plan of record?

The retirement plan of record is something that I work on with my clients and I am in the process of developing a template that will be available in the Rock Retirement Club masterclass. This plan of record will help you create a current representation of your decision-making framework so that you can walk through a decision-making process in an organized way.

Why is it important to have a plan of record

There is so much to consider in retirement planning--asset allocations, withdrawal rates, Roth conversions, IRMAA, taxes, not to mention who your friends will be and what you’re going to do all day. With all of these considerations, it is easy to become overwhelmed by the choices if you don’t have an organized way to make decisions. Without a clear direction, your decision-making process could have you bouncing around like crazy.

“It is easy to become overwhelmed by the choices if you don’t have an organized way to make decisions.”

The 3 pillars of the agile process

When creating a retirement plan of record, it is important to organize your financial goals into 3 pillars so that your plan can remain agile. First, develop a feasible plan, then, make it resilient, and lastly, optimize your plan. If you can arrange your decisions under these 3 pillars, then you can think through the process in an organized way.

A retirement plan of record can ensure that your decisions reflect your values and goals. You’ll be able to create feasible spending goals based on your resources. Your plan needs to be resilient so that you can manage risks.

Once you have your plan of record in place then you can work through each decision while referring to your plan. You’ll be able to see the changes you are considering within your organized process and create a what-if scenario by making a copy of your plan of record and adjust accordingly. This way you’ll be able to flush out the implications of this new variable so that you can examine the decision in a thoughtful way.

The plan of record is a useful tool to accomplish organized thinking that you can execute in a consistent rhythm so that you can stay agile and make the most of your life regardless of what happens. Your plan of record allows you to focus on what you can control.